One Word
by soniclore
Summary: Sometimes, when you alter one word, you can change the entire course of history. Slightly altered version of "Fever". I own nothing. No Smallville, no Superman, nothing. Bummer.


Chloe sat down quietly beside Clark, taking care not to disturb him. _Of course I won't disturb him, _she thought. _He's still sleeping off the fever...funny, he's never been sick from school or anything before, but seeing him here, now...he looks so...I dunno, normal? Ugh. I am soooo glad I'm the only one in my head._

"Hi, Clark" _Yuck...too cheerful. _ Chloe felt more than a little odd talking to him like this. She found herself reaching out, putting her hand on his arm and rubbing it awkwardly, trying to be comforting to an unconscious person. "Well, this is gonna make quite a story. 'Clark Kent ends record-breaking perfect attendance streak'" She smiled a little, shifted uncomfortably and dropped the grin. "Sorry. I just...I've never seen you sick before." She knew that he knew that, of course. Chloe was no fool; her grades would compare favorably to anyone in schools. Still, there were things she didn't feel so smart about. One of those things was laying in front of her, sweaty and vulnerable and alone, and she was out of her comfort zone. "It just got me thinking, you know...what if something did happen to you?" - she paused, willing herself to go on - "and I...never got to..."

She let out a bit of the breath she was holding, smiled with a bit of embarrassment and started digging in her handbag for the slip of paper she had brought with her. The slip of paper she had carefully prepared; had written, thrown out, re-written a half-dozen times.

"So in yet another classic maneuver to avoid emotional intimacy, I wrote my feelings down so I could read them to you..." she carefully unfolded the paper, her fingers fumbling a little - she might have done better holding the Magna Carta, or the original Declaration of Independence, "...thereby avoiding embarrassing eye contact." Her eyes moved from his strained visage down to the letter she held in her hands..._in my heart. _She took a final breath, committed now. _Here goes..._

"I want to let you in on a little secret, Clark...I'm not who you think I am. In fact, my disguise is so thin, I'm surprised you haven't seen right through me. I'm the girl of your dreams masquerading as your best friend. Sometimes I want to rip off this façade like I did at the Spring Formal but I can't... because you'll get scared, and you'll run away again. So I decided that it's better to live with the lie than expose my true feelings. ("This is so much easier when you're unconscious") My dad told me there are two types of girls: the ones you grow out of, and the ones you grow into. I really hope I'm the latter. I may not be the one you love today, but I'll let you go for now, hoping one day you'll fly back to me. Because I think you're worth the wait."

She let the note fall to her lap as her fingers found their way to his forehead, brushing aside his hair, feeling the heat radiating from his skin, trying in her hopeless way to bring some of his illness into herself so she could relieve him, or at least share it with him. _I would do that for you, Clark. I would share whatever it is holding you to the earth._

As she tousled his hair, she felt him stir a little. Her fingers hitched a bit in their movement - she involuntarily took a quick breath and held it. She looked at his face, taking in his features as she had been too often embarrassed to do while he was awake...and she saw his lips move slightly. Slowly, they slid upward into the barest of smiles.

Her fingers moved his hair aside, and she looked at him as he moved his head slightly towards her fingers.

"Clark?" she asked out loud.

"Chloe?" was his quiet, slurred reply.

"Yes, Clark! I'm here...I've been here for uhh, a little while, and your dad let me in and said I could sit, and so I..." her voice trailed off as she realized he was still sleeping, only half aware of what she was saying. _He's probably dreaming. Figures. I sit here and pour my heart out to him and he's in la-la-land. Guess I could have saved a bunch of...WAITAMINUTE...he said "Chloe"...that means...He's. Dreaming. About. __**ME!**_

The single tear that had been threatening to fall was soon joined whole-heartedly by a torrent of others. She ran her fingers through his hair, gently caressing him in a way that she found comforting and at the same time, exhilarating. Chloe felt at this moment, that everything was going to be different. She didn't know how, or to what extent, but she knew why.

_Clark said my name! _

In what can only be described as a rush of adrenaline to the heart, Chloe leaned down towards Clark's prone face and traced her finger along the side of his cheek, down his hardened jawline, to his chin...she lifted it up slightly, tilting his head back just a little...and touched her lips to his.

She must have lingered there for longer than she thought, because she then heard someone clearing his throat from behind her. Startled, she leaned up a bit too quickly and turned around, to see Mr. Kent looking at her._ Funny, he doesn't look mad...?_

"Chloe", he said calmly.

"Yes, Mr. Kent?"

"Can you stay for a while and keep an eye on Clark? I have something I have to do for a while." He looks at her and though he is obviously concerned about Clark, he looks genuinely happy that Chloe is there.

"I will stay right here, Mr. Kent. If he needs anything, I'll make sure he gets it. Um, you know, like water, or a cold cloth, or some soup or whatever...I don't mean, uhhh..." she stammered a bit. Luckily, a smile from Mr. Kent calmed her down to less than warp speed.

"Chloe, I'm sure Clark will be happy to know you're here."

"Thanks, Mr. Kent."

_Yes. Clark will be happy to know I'm here._


End file.
